THERMO SCAN THERMO SCAN OncologyOncology book.pdfAbstract Collections on Clinical Thermography -Oncology - 1 - THERMO SCAN THERMO SCAN OncologyOncology A ... infrared image by the

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THERMO SCAN THERMO SCAN THERMO SCAN THERMO SCAN

OncologyOncologyOncologyOncology

A simple, Painless, Non-Invasive Technology to

Image Inflammatory Pain, Breast Cancers and Vascular Disorders.

Abstract Collections on Clinical Thermography

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AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003 Jan;180(1):263-9.

EFFICACY OF COMPUTERIZED INFRARED IMAGING ANALYSIS TO

EVALUATE MAMMOGRAPHICALLY SUSPICIOUS LESIONS. Parisky YR, Sardi A, Hamm R, Hughes K, Esserman L, Rust S, Callahan K.

USC/Norris Cancer Center, 1441 Eastlake Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.

Comment in: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003 Aug;181(2):596; author reply 596.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this clinical trial was to determine the efficacy of a dynamic

computerized infrared imaging system for distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions in patients

undergoing biopsy on the basis of mammographic findings.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A 4-year clinical trial was conducted at five institutions using

infrared imaging of patients for whom breast biopsy had been recommended. The data from a blinded

subject set were obtained in 769 subjects with 875 biopsied lesions resulting in 187 malignant and 688

benign findings. The infrared technique records a series of sequential images that provides an assessment

of the infrared information in a mammographically identified area. The suspicious area is localized on the

infrared image by the radiologist using mammograms, and an index of suspicion is determined, yielding a

negative or positive result.

RESULTS: In the 875 biopsied lesions, the index of suspicion resulted in a 97% sensitivity, a 14%

specificity, a 95% negative predictive value, and a 24% positive predictive value. Lesions that were

assessed as false-negative by infrared analysis were microcalcifications, so an additional analysis was

performed in a subset excluding lesions described only as microcalcification. In this restricted subset of

448 subjects with 479 lesions and 110 malignancies, the index of suspicion resulted in a 99% sensitivity,

an 18% specificity, a 99% negative predictive value, and a 27% positive predictive value. Analysis of

infrared imaging performance in all 875 biopsied lesions revealed that specificity was statistically

improved in dense breast tissue compared with fatty breast tissue.

CONCLUSION: Infrared imaging offers a safe noninvasive procedure that would be valuable as an

adjunct to mammography in determining whether a lesion is benign or malignant. PMID: 12490517 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free Article

Publication Types, MeSH Terms

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Int Semin Surg Oncol. 2005 Apr 8;2(1):8.

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF THE DYNAMIC THERMAL ANALYSIS IN THE

EARLY DETECTION OF BREAST CANCER. Salhab M, Al Sarakbi W, Mokbel K.

St George's and The Princess Grace Hospitals, London, UK. [email protected].

ABSTRACT

It is now recognised that the breast exhibits a circadian rhythm which reflects its physiology. There

is increasing evidence that rhythms associated with malignant cells proliferation are largely non-circadian

and that a circadian to ultradian shift may be a general correlation to neoplasia.Cancer development

appearsto generate its own thermal signatures and the complexity of these signatures may be a reflection

of its degree of development.The limitations of mammography as a screening modality especially in young

women with dense breasts necessitated the development of novel and more effective screening strategies

with a high sensitivity and specificity. Dynamic thermal analysis of the breast is a safe, non invasive

approach that seems to be sensitive for the early detection of breast cancer.This article focuses on dynamic

thermal analysis as an evolving method in breast cancer detection in pre-menopausal women with dense


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breast tissue. Prospective multi-centre trials are required to validate this promising modality in

screening.The issue of false positives require further investigation using molecular genetic markers of

malignancy and novel techniques such as mammary ductoscopy. PMID: 15819982 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]PMCID: PMC1084358Free PMC Article

Publication Types


Phys Med Biol. 2011 Jan 7;56(1):187-202. Epub 2010 Dec 9.

MODELING STATIC AND DYNAMIC THERMOGRAPHY OF THE HUMAN

BREAST UNDER ELASTIC DEFORMATION. Jiang L, Zhan W, Loew MH.

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC

20052, USA.

ABSTRACT

An abnormal thermogram has been shown to be a reliable indicator of increased risk of breast

cancer. Numerical modeling techniques for thermography are proposed to quantify the complex

relationships between the breast thermal behaviors and the underlying physiological/pathological

conditions. Previous thermal modeling techniques did not account for gravity-induced elastic deformation

arising from various body postures, nor did they suggest that a dynamic thermal procedure may be used to

enhance clinical diagnosis. In this paper, 3D finite element method (FEM)-based thermal and elastic

modeling techniques are developed to characterize comprehensively both the thermal and elastic

properties of normal and tumorous breast tissues during static and dynamic thermography. In the steady

state, gravity-induced breast deformation is found to cause an upper-lower asymmetric surface temperature

contrast for sitting/standing up body posture, even though all the thermal and elastic properties are

assumed uniform. Additionally, the tumor-induced surface temperature alterations are found to be caused

primarily by shallow tumors and to be less sensitive to tumor size than to tumor depth. In the dynamic

state, the breast exhibits distinctive temporal patterns that are associated with distinct thermal events: cold

stress and thermal recovery induced by changes in the ambient temperature. Specifically, the tumor-

induced thermal contrast shows an opposite initial change and delayed peak as compared with the

deformation-induced thermal contrast. These findings are expected to provide a stronger foundation for,

and greater specificity and precision in, thermographic diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. PMID: 21149948 [PubMed - in process]

omput Biol Med. 2011 Feb;41(2):76-86. Epub 2011 Jan 11.

THERMAL ANALYSIS OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL BREAST MODEL WITH

EMBEDDED TUMOUR USING THE TRANSMISSION LINE MATRIX (TLM)

METHOD. Amri A, Saidane A, Pulko S.

Département des sciences fondamentales, Ecole nationale Polytechnique, BP 182, 16200 El Harrach,

Alger, Algeria. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Breast thermography is a non-invasive tool for early detection of breast cancer. It was subject for

many years to some controversial issues regarding its efficiency. Advances in infrared camera technology

and progress in image processing systems had brought thermal breast imaging back as a valid tool for

mammography. Numerical modelling of heat transfer within a woman breast is being an attractive tool that

may reveal the conditions under which tumours can be detected in a thermogram. The aim of this work is

to use the transmission line matrix (TLM) to model a regular three-dimensional breast with embedded

tumour and analyse sensitivity parameters. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


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PMID: 21227409 [PubMed - in process]

BMC Cancer. 2004 Apr 28;4:17.

COMPUTER SIMULATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL

THERMOGRAPHY AS AN ADJUNCT TOOL FOR EARLY DETECTION OF

BREAST CANCER. Ng EY, Sudharsan NM.

School of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang

Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mathematical modelling and analysis is now accepted in the engineering design

on par with experimental approaches. Computer simulations enable one to perform several 'what-if'

analyses cost effectively. High speed computers and low cost of memory has helped in simulating large-

scale models in a relatively shorter time frame. The possibility of extending numerical modelling in the

area of breast cancer detection in conjunction with medical thermography is considered in this work.

METHODS: Thermography enables one to see the temperature pattern and look for abnormality. In

a thermogram there is no radiation risk as it only captures the infrared radiation from the skin and is totally

painless. But, a thermogram is only a test of physiology, whereas a mammogram is a test of anatomy. It is

hoped that a thermogram along with numerical modelling will serve as an adjunct tool. Presently

mammogram is the 'gold-standard' in breast cancer detection. But the interpretation of a mammogram is

largely dependent on the radiologist. Therefore, a thermogram that looks into the physiological changes in

combination with numerical simulation performing 'what-if' analysis could act as an adjunct tool to

mammography.

RESULTS: The proposed framework suggested that it could reduce the occurrence of false-

negative/positive cases.

CONCLUSION: A numerical bioheat model of a female breast is developed and simulated. The

results are compared with experimental results. The possibility of this method as an early detection tool is

discussed. PMID: 15113442 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]PMCID: PMC416480Free PMC Article

Proc Inst Mech Eng H. 2001;215(4):393-404.

EFFECT OF BLOOD FLOW, TUMOUR AND COLD STRESS IN A FEMALE

BREAST: A NOVEL TIME-ACCURATE COMPUTER SIMULATION. Ng EY, Sudharsan NM.

School of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is a dreadful disease among women and early detection helps in achieving a cure. The

mammogram is presently the standard tool for detecting breast abnormality, but its sensitivity is lower for

women with dense breasts. It has been found that women with an abnormal thermogram are at a higher

risk and have a poorer prognosis. However, performing and interpreting thermograms requires meticulous

training. Computer simulations can be an additional tool to help the clinician in the interpretation. In this

paper, a novel and flexible finite element model of a female breast is developed. Both steady state and

time-dependent solutions are obtained. Steady state solutions globally match experimental thermographic

results with the proper choice of blood perfusion source terms, tissue thickness and geometric scaling

factor. Although the simulations may not be useful in providing a unique solution (i.e. exact size and

location of the tumour owing to the complex physiological relationship between the tumour and the breast

surface temperature), it would nevertheless help in the 'analysis by elimination'. An example of this type of

analysis is also presented. PMID: 11521762 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


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J Med Eng Technol. 2001 Sep-Oct;25(5):222-9.

NUMERICAL UNCERTAINTY AND PERFUSION INDUCED INSTABILITY IN

BIOHEAT EQUATION: ITS IMPORTANCE IN THERMOGRAPHIC

INTERPRETATION. Ng EY, Sudharsan NM.

School of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang

Avenue, Singapore 639798.

ABSTRACT

The use of engineering in biomedical sciences has opened new facets in research. The present paper

deals with problems arising from numerical simulation, in order to develop an expert system for the

diagnosis of breast cancer using thermography. A female breast is modelled in three dimensions and the

surface temperature pattern is obtained by solving the bioheat equation. This solution will be used in

conjunction with a database of thermograms to develop an intelligent diagnostic tool. The focus of the

present paper is to build and check the confidence level of the numerical scheme before proceeding to

model the actual problem. The parametric study is done along with a check for mesh insensitivity and

wiggle free isotherm contours. This process yielded a benchmark nodal distance, with which the 3D model

is generated and isotherm pattern analysed. It can be seen that this enhances the accuracy of the surface

temperature distribution. The use of this is tested in a close-to-actual numerical breast model and the

results compared with the thermographic results. The outcome is very encouraging. Finally, a typical

clinical protocol in conjunction with the use of numerical prediction for breast thermographic

interpretation is outlined. PMID: 11695664 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Biomech Eng. 2004 Apr;126(2):204-11.

EFFECT OF FORCED CONVECTION ON THE SKIN THERMAL EXPRESSION

OF BREAST CANCER. Hu L, Gupta A, Gore JP, Xu LX.

School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.

ABSTRACT

A bioheat-transfer-based numerical model was utilized to study the energy balance in healthy and

malignant breasts subjected to forced convection in a wind tunnel. Steady-state temperature distributions

on the skin surface of the breasts were obtained by numerically solving the conjugate heat transfer

problem. Parametric studies on the influences of the airflow on the skin thermal expression of tumors were

performed. It was found that the presence of tumor may not be clearly shown due to the irregularities of

the skin temperature distribution induced by the airflow field. Nevertheless, image subtraction techniques

could be employed to eliminate the effects of the flow field and thermal noise and significantly improve

the thermal signature of the tumor on the skin surface. Inclusion of the possible skin vascular response to

cold stress caused by the airflow further enhances the signal, especially for deeply embedded tumors that

otherwise may not be detectable. PMID: 15179850 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



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ANN ACAD MED STETIN. 2006;52(1):35-9; DISCUSSION 39-40. [Contemporary applications of infrared imaging in medical diagnostics].

[Article in Polish]

Mikulska D.

Katedra i Klinika Chorób Skórnych i Wenerycznych Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej al. Powsta?ców

Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Thermal imaging is a non-contact, non-invasive diagnostic method for study

human body temperature. Therefore infra red thermal imaging finds increasing application in clinical

medicine.

PURPOSE: The aim of this paper was to present and discuss the history and applications of thermal

imaging in medicine.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The literature dealing with the history and applications of thermal

imaging in medicine has been reviewed.

RESULTS: Medical thermography was born in 1957 when a surgeon, Dr. R. Lawson discovered that

his breast cancer patients had higher skin temperature over the cancer area. Since the 1970's thermography

has been used in many areas of medicine. Early problems such as low detector sensitivity, but most

significantly, poor training ofthermography technicians was the source of error in thermography and

retarded the acceptance of this technique until 1990. Since that time, thermographic equipment has

evolved significantly. Modern thermal imaging systems comprise technically advanced thermal cameras

coupled to computers with sophisticated software solutions. The recorded images are now of good quality

and may be further processed to obtain reliable information. Thermography can be applied as a diagnostic

tool in oncology, allergic diseases, angiology, plastic surgery, rheumatology, and elsewhere.

Contemporary thermal imaging must be per formed according to certain principles aimed at reliability and

reproducibility of results.

CONCLUSIONS: 1. Thermography is a safe, accurate and, most importantly, a non-invasive

diagnostic method in clinical medicine. 2. Ignoring any of the principles worked out by the European

Association of Thermology leaves thermography open to error and thus reduces acceptance of this

technique in medical diagnostics. PMID: 17131845 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

SHENG WU YI XUE GONG CHENG XUE ZA ZHI. 2005 DEC;22(6):1140-3. [Study on technique of thermal imaging and soft-sensing].

[Article in Chinese]

Qu J, Liao Q, Zhang X.

Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710033, China.

ABSTRACT

The differences of body surface temperature reflect the changes of the status of body tissues. In this

regard, detecting and forecasting the changes of the surface temperature is the objective of the technique of

medical thermal diagnosis, and how to diagnose the disease earlier with the use of thermal images is a

common problem in the field of medical diagnostics and biological engineering. The authors put forward

that utilizing the soft-sensing techniques in the field of engineering will be a good solution. PMID: 16422084 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



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Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2006;1:224-7.

FUNCTIONAL INFRARED IMAGING IN MEDICINE: A QUANTITATIVE

DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH. Merla A, Romani GL.

ABSTRACT

The role and the potentialities of high-resolution infrared thermography, combined to bio-heat

modelling, have been largely described in the last years in a wide variety of biomedical applications.

Quantitative assessment over time of the cutaneous temperature and/or of other biomedical parameters

related to the temperature (e.g., cutaneous blood flow, thermal inertia, sympathetic skin response) allows

for a better and more complete understanding and description of functional processes involved and/or

altered in presence of ailment and interfering with the regular cutaneous thermoregulation. Such an

approach to thermal medical imaging requires both new methodologies and tools, like diagnostic

paradigms, appropriate software for data analysis and, even, a completely new way to look at data

processing. In this paper, some of the studies recently made in our laboratory are presented and described,

with the general intent of introducing the reader to these innovative methods to obtain quantitative

diagnostic tools based on thermal imaging. PMID: 17946387 [PubMed - indexed for ME


SUPERIMPOSITION OF THERMAL IMAGING TO VISUAL IMAGING USING

HOMOGRAPHY. Di Romualdo S, Merla A, Romani GL.

ITAB - Institute of Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Foundation University G. d'Annunzio and Clinical

Sciences and Bioimaging Dept, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

InfraRed Thermal Imaging (IR) permits to non-invasively map the skin temperature distribution of

the human body. Combining together thermal and visual imaging enriches the informative content of IR

images and provides to the physician an anatomically-based and more friendly visualization--on the

thermal images--of the presence of possible pathological processes. In this paper we use a homography

technique to overlap a thermal image to a visible one. The technique provides an effective pixel-to-pixel

correspondences between the two images or their portions. PMID: 18002718 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Biomech Eng. 2007 Feb;129(1):33-9.

THERMAL DETECTION OF EMBEDDED TUMORS USING INFRARED

IMAGING. Mital M, Scott EP.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Thermography, also known as thermal or

infrared imaging, is a procedure to determine if an abnormality is present in the breast tissue temperature

distribution. This abnormality in temperature distribution might indicate the presence of an embedded

tumor. Although thermography is currently used to indicate the presence of an abnormality, there are no

standard procedures to interpret these and determine the location of an embedded tumor. This research is a

first step towards this direction. It explores the relationship between the characteristics (location and

power) of an embedded heat source and the resulting temperature distribution on the surface. Experiments

were conducted using a resistance heater that was embedded in agar in order to simulate the heat produced

by a tumor in the biological tissue. The resulting temperature distribution on the surface was imaged using


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an infrared camera. In order to estimate the location and heat generation rate of the source from these

temperature distributions, a genetic algorithm was used as the estimation method. The genetic algorithm

utilizes a finite difference scheme for the direct solution of the Pennes bioheat equation. It was determined

that a genetic algorithm based approach is well suited for the estimation problem since both the depth and

the heat generation rate of the heat source were accurately predicted. PMID: 17227096 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms Zhongguo Yi Liao Qi Xie Za Zhi. 2001 Nov;25(6):324-7.

[THE DESIGN OF NEAR INFRARED MAMMOGRAPHY COMPUTER-AIDED

DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM]. [Article in Chinese]

Zhan CA, Feng HQ.

Department of Electronic Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China.

ABSTRACT

Near infrared mammography is a new method for breast imaging for popular examination. Its merits

are no radiation, without the necessaries of darkroom, etc. Based on the digital image processing and

analysis system, the doctor can get informations more conveniently and with higher diagnosis reliability.

In this paper, the near infrared image acquisition, processing and analysis system and its implementation

are presented. PMID: 12583262 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


LinkOut - more resources EEE Trans Med Imaging. 1998 Dec;17(6):1019-27.

A REAPPRAISAL OF THE USE OF INFRARED THERMAL IMAGE ANALYSIS

IN MEDICINE. Jones BF.

School of Computing, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, UK. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Infrared thermal imaging of the skin has been used for several decades to monitor the temperature

distribution of human skin. Abnormalities such as malignancies, inflammation, and infection cause

localized increases in temperature which show as hot spots or as asymmetrical patterns in an infrared

thermogram. Even though it is nonspecific, infrared thermology is a powerful detector of problems that

affect a patient's physiology. While the use of infrared imaging is increasing in many industrial and

security applications, it has declined in medicine probably because of the continued reliance on first

generation cameras. The transfer of military technology for medical use has prompted this reappraisal of

infrared thermology in medicine. Digital infrared cameras have much improved spatial and thermal

resolutions, and libraries of image processing routines are available to analyze images captured both

statically and dynamically. If thermographs are captured under controlled conditions, they may be

interpreted readily to diagnose certain conditions and to monitor the reaction of a patient's physiology to

thermal and other stresses. Some of the major areas where infrared thermography is being used

successfully are neurology, vascular disorders, rheumatic diseases, tissue viability, oncology (especially

breast cancer), dermatological disorders, neonatal, ophthalmology, and surgery. PMID: 10048859 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


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PARAMETRIC DATA MINING AND DIAGNOSTIC RULES FOR DIGITAL

THERMOGRAPHS IN BREAST CANCER. Yang CS, Lee MY.

Graduate Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chang Gung

University, Taishan, Taipei County, Taiwan, ROC. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

In this study, a novel data mining algorithm and parametric analysis protocol were utilized for

generating knowledge-based diagnostic rules for infrared thermographs. First, Beier-Neely field morphing

and linear affine transformation algorithms were used in geometric standardization for the whole body and

partial region respectively. Gray levels of thermal images at same anatomical coordinates in the abnormal

regions were then analyzed to determine upper and lower limits for diagnosis. Twenty-five parameters

were extracted from each abnormal region for parametric analysis, and decision trees were used to

generate the knowledge-based diagnostic rules. A total of 71 and 131 female patients with and without

breast cancer respectively were both analyzed in this study. Experimental results indicated that a total of

1750 abnormal regions (703 positive and 1047 negative) were detected. Sixty one positive abnormal

regions (61/703=8.6%) from 44 cancer patients (42/71=59.2%) can be found in the abovementioned 14

branches. PMID: 19162603 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms J Med Eng Technol. 2008 Mar-Apr;32(2):103-14.

ADVANCED INTEGRATED TECHNIQUE IN BREAST CANCER

THERMOGRAPHY. Ng EY, Kee EC.

School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological

University, 639798, Singapore. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Thermography is a passive and non-contact imaging technique used extensively in the medical

arena, but in relation to breast care, it has not been accepted as being on a par with mammography. This

paper proposes the analysis of thermograms with the use of artificial neural networks (ANN) and bio-

statistical methods, including regression and receiver operating characteristics (ROC). It is desired that

through these approaches, highly accurate diagnosis using thermography techniques can be achieved. The

suggested method is a multi-pronged approach comprising of linear regression, radial basis function

network (RBFN) and ROC analysis. It is a novel, integrative and powerful technique that can be used to

analyse large amounts of complicated measured data such as temperature values extracted from abnormal

and healthy breast thermograms. The use of regression allows the correlation between the variables and

the actual health status of the subject, which is decided by other traditional means such as the gold

standard of mammography for breast cancer detection. This is important as it helps to select the

appropriate variables to be used as inputs for building the neural network. RBFN is next trained to produce

the desired outcome that is either positive or negative. When this is done, the RBFN possess the ability to

predict the outcome when there are new input variables. The advantages of using RBFN include fast

training of superior classification and decision-making abilities as compared to other networks such as

backpropagation. Lastly, ROC is applied to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the

outcome for the RBFN test files. The proposed technique has an accuracy rate of 80.95%, with 100%

sensitivity and 70.6% specificity in identifying breast cancer. The results are promising as compared to

clinical examination by experienced radiologists, which has an accuracy rate of approximately 60-70%. To

sum up, technological advances in the field of infrared thermography over the last 20 years warrant a re-


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evaluation of the use of high-resolution digital thermographic camera systems in the diagnosis and

management of breast cancer. Thermography seeks to identify the presence of a tumour by the elevated

temperature associated with increase blood flow and cellular activity. Of particular interest would be

investigation in younger women and men, for whom mammography is either unsuitable or of limited

effectiveness. The paper evaluated the high-definition digital infrared thermographic technology and

knowledge base; and supports the development of future diagnostic and therapeutic services in breast

cancer imaging. Through the use of integrative ANN and bio-statistical methods, advances are made in

thermography application with regard to achieving a higher level of consistency. For breast cancer care, it

has become possible to use thermography as a powerful adjunct and biomarker tool, together with

mammography for diagnosis purposes. PMID: 17852648 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms Del Med J. 1999 Sep;71(9):377-82.

CURRENT IMAGING MODALITIES FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST

CANCER. Edell SL, Eisen MD.

Women's Imaging Center, Delaware Spect Imaging Center, USA.

ABSTRACT

Although mammography still remains the gold standard for breast cancer screening and diagnosis, it

typically cannot differentiate benign from malignant disease and is less accurate in patients with dense

glandular breasts. This article is an overview of imaging modalities that have emerged to augment

mammography and improve the accuracy of non-invasive breast cancer diagnosis. Ultrasound is currently

used to differentiate breast masses and guide aspirations and biopsies. Magnetic resonance imaging has

excellent sensitivity in demonstrating breast cancer but a low specificity. Nuclear medicine studies have

recently emerged that detect the increased metabolic rate and vascularity of breast cancers. Other

modalities, such as thermography and computed tomography, have a more limited utility for breast cancer

diagnosis. Digital mammography is among other emerging technological advancements that will continue

to develop and improve the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis in the future. PMID: 10584437 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Med Syst. 2009 Apr;33(2):141-53.

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE USE OF ANALYTICAL SOFTWARE TO

IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF BREAST CANCER USING DISCRETE

TEMPERATURE DATA. Tan JM, Ng EY, Acharya RU, Keith LG, Holmes J.

School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological

University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore.

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. It occurs when cells in the breast begin

to grow out of control and invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. The limitations of

mammography as a screening modality, especially in young women with denser breasts, necessitated the

development of novel and more effective screening strategies with acceptable sensitivity and specificity.

The aim of this study was to develop a feasible interpretive software system which was able to detect and

classify breast cancer patients by employing techniques of different analytical software. The protocol

described uses 6,000 pieces of thermal data collected from 16-sensors, eight placed on the surface of each

breast. Data was collected every 5 min for the duration of the test period. Placement of sensors was

accomplished with the use of a template design from information provided by the national tumor registry

to insure that the information was collected in areas of the breast where most breast cancers develop. Data

in this study was collected from 90 individuals exhibiting four different breast conditions, namely: normal,


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benign, cancer and suspected-cancer. The temperature data collected from these 16 sensors placed on the

surface of each breast were fed as inputs to the classifiers. Comparisons were made on five different kinds

of classifiers: back-propagation algorithm, probabilistic neural network, fuzzy (Sugeno-type), Gaussian

mixture modeland support vector machine. These classifiers were able to attain approximately 80%

accuracy in classifying the four different diagnoses (normal, benign, cancerand suspected-cancer).

Gaussian mixture model was the most sensitive classifier, achieving the highest sensitivity of 94.8%.

Support vector machine was considered the best classifier as it was able to produce the most specific and

accurate results. Based on these evaluations, this current effort shows the feasibility of applying analytical

software techniques together with the real-time functional thermal analysis to develop a potential tool for

the detection and classification of breast cancer. PMID: 19397099 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Rev Fr Gynecol Obstet. 1973 Jun;68(6):401-9.

[DYNAMIC TELETHERMOGRAPHY IN MAMMARY CARCINOMA]. [Article in French]

Amalric R.

Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer, 232, boulevard Sainte-Marguerite, 13273 Marseille 2, France.

ABSTRACT

Dynamic telethermography, a still new technique, enables to obtain original data on the behaviour of

mammary carcinomas both in space and time. It deserves to be used in conjunction with the other clinical

and paraclinical methods in the "non bloody combined diagnosis" of such tumors. In spite of 5 per cent of

false positive and 8 to 16 per cent false negative results, it helps to correct over one half of erroneous

radioclinical diagnosis. It often brings accurate data on extension, multifocality and topography of these

carcinomas and plays an efficient part in post-therapeutical systematic periodical surveillance, more

especially when the breast has been preserved. Capable of detecting small non-palpable adenocarcinomas,

it could be used as a thuthworthy screening procedure. Finally, it demonstrates "cold" cancers and too

"hot" cancers, the former of probably slow development, the latter developing rapidly. Beyond a simple

positive diagnosis, it is contributory to the first steps of clinical physiology of breast carcinomas, which is

all the more remarkable because it is a true non-traumatic tele-measurement. PMID: 17474649 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


ENHANCEMENT OF THERMAL DIAGNOSTICS ON TUMORS UNDERNEATH

THE SKIN BY INDUCED EVAPORATION. Deng ZS, Liu J.Tech. Inst. of Phys. & Chem., Chinese Acad. of Sci., Beijing.

ABSTRACT Infrared imaging has frequently been used in clinics to detect changes in skin surface temperature associated

with some superficial tumors. In order to accurately detect and diagnose tumors (especially in their early stages)

using infrared thermography, enhancement of thermal expression on the skin over the tumor is desired. This study

proposed a novel approach to effectively enhance the skin thermal expression of tumor by induced evaporation on

skin surface. To illustrate its feasibility, numerical calculation was first applied to simulate the corresponding heat

transfer process, from which the three-dimensional transient temperatures of the biological bodies subjected to

induced evaporation were theoretically predicted. Further, preliminary infrared imaging experiments on human

forearm were also performed, in which water and 75% (V/V) medical ethanol were particularly chosen to be

respectively sprayed on the skin surface. Both the numerical and experimental results indicate that the induced

evaporation can significantly enhance the sensitivity of temperature mapping on skin surface over the tumor. The

results also suggest that the induced evaporation method can be used to improve the diagnostic accuracy of infrared

thermography, especially for tumors at early stages and/or deeply embedded. PMID: 17282022 [PubMed - in process]



- 12 -

Vrach Delo. 1989 Aug;(8):103-5.

[CONTACT THERMOGRAPHY IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF

BENIGN TUMORS AND CANCER OF THE BREAST]. [Article in Russian]

Geshelin SA, Noskin AL, Kravchenko VA.

ABSTRACT

Contact thermography was performed in 87 patients with benign and in 75 with cancerous tumours

of the breast. Hyperthermia over the tumour is characterized by a 2.2 degrees C and higher increase of the

temperature and was registered only in cancer of the breast. Anisothermy of the breast was characterized

by a +/- 0.5 degrees C and higher and may be considered as a supplementary diagnostic sign

distinguishing cancer of the breast from benign tumours. PMID: 2588501 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Vestn Khir Im I I Grek. 1980 Mar;124(3):54-60.

[COLOR CONTACT THERMOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST

DISEASES]. [Article in Russian]

Moiseenko MD, Kitsai TA, Mukhina MV.

ABSTRACT

One hundred of women with diseases of the mammary gland were examined. Breast cancer was

found in 31 patients, 65 patients had various benign tumors, 4 women had chronic mastitis. Breast cancer

was manifested by pronounced focal elevation of temperature over the tumor, temperature asymmetry of

mammary glands, uneven boundaries of hyperthermia focus with "pathways" of hyperthermia running

from the tumor to regional lymph nodes (in 75% of cases) even when no metastases are found

histologically. Patients with alterations in the mammary glands referred to as precancerous, are

thermographically characterized by focal hyperthermia with distinct boundaries. Nonproliferating forms of

fibroadenoma, as a rule, do not manifest themselves by focal pictures without changes in the general

background of the thermogram. PMID: 7189619 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


J Med Eng Technol. 2001 Jan-Feb;25(1):12-6.

COMPUTERIZED BREAST THERMOGRAPHY: STUDY OF IMAGE

SEGMENTATION AND TEMPERATURE CYCLIC VARIATIONS. Ng EY, Chen Y, Ung LN.

School of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

[email protected]

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is a common and dreadful disease in women. The surface temperature and the

vascularization pattern of the breast could indicate breast diseases. Establishing the surface isotherm

pattern of the breast and the normal range of cyclic variations of temperature distribution can assist in

identifying the abnormal infrared images of diseased breasts. This paper investigates the cyclic variation of

temperature and vascularization of the normal breast thermograms under a controlled environment. More

than 50 Asian women, were examined and some of them have been examined continuously for two month.

All together, not less than 800 thermograms were obtained. Before these thermograms can be analysed

objectively via a computer algorithm, they must be digitized and segmented. The authors present a method

to segment thermograms and extract the useful region from the background. After the image processing,

these thermograms can be analysed and then the best time to perform an examination can be chosen. All


- 13 -

these results are important for establishing a data bank of normal breast thermography, to choose the best

time for an examination and as a systematic methodology for evaluating and analysing the abnormal breast

thermography in the future. PMID: 11345095 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2009 Mar;56(3):903-6. Epub 2008 Sep 16.

MOTION ARTIFACT REDUCTION IN BREAST DYNAMIC INFRARED

IMAGING. Agostini V, Knaflitz M, Molinari F.

Department of Electronics, Politecnico di Torino, Torino 10129, Italy. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Dynamic infrared imaging is a promising technique in breast oncology. In this paper, a quantum well

infrared photodetector infrared camera is used to acquire a sequence of consecutive thermal images of the

patient's breast for 10 s. Information on the local blood perfusion is obtained from the spectral analysis of

the time series at each image pixel. Due to respiratory and motion artifacts, the direct comparison of the

temperature values that a pixel assumes along the sequence becomes difficult. In fact, the small

temperature changes due to blood perfusion, of the order of 10-50 mK, which constitute the signal of

interest in the time domain, are superimposed onto large temperature fluctuations due to the subject's

motion, which represent noise. To improve the time series S/N, and as a consequence, enhance the

specificity and sensitivity of the dynamic infrared examination, it is important to realign the thermal

images of the acquisition sequence, thus reducing motion artifacts. In a previous study, we demonstrated

that a registration algorithm based on fiducial points is suitable to both clinical applications and research,

when associated with a proper set of skin markers. In this paper, we quantitatively evaluate the

performance of different marker sets by means of a model that allows for estimating the S/N increment

due to registration, and we conclude that a 12-marker set is a good compromise between motion artifact

reduction and the time required to prepare the patient. PMID: 19272933 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Science. 1975 Nov 14;190(4215):669-71.

SUBCUTANEOUS TEMPERATURES: A METHOD OF NONINVASIVE

SENSING. Barrett AH, Myers PC.

ABSTRACT

A new method of noninvasive sensing of the subsurface temperature distribution in human and

animal tissue is described. Thermal radiation emitted from subsurface depths of several centimeters can be

detected with microwave receivers. Temperature sensitivity of order 0.1 degree C and spatial resolution of

approximately 1 by 2 centimeters have been obtained. Measurements demonstrating the technique, with

feline and human tissue, are reported. A potential medical application is the detection of subsurface

thermal anomalies such as malignant tumors and regions of vascular insufficiency. PMID: 1188361 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

\


- 14 -

IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 1998 Jul-Aug;17(4):25-33.

CLINICAL THERMAL IMAGING TODAY. Anbar M.

School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY, Buffalo, USA. [email protected] PMID: 9672807 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances


Int J Fertil Womens Med. 2001 Sep-Oct;46(5):238-47.

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM CHAOS: A NEW BREAST CANCER MARKER. Keith LG, Oleszczuk JJ, Laguens M.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois,

USA.

ABSTRACT

The most disappointing aspect of breast cancer treatment as a public health issue has been the failure

of screening to improve mortality figures. Since treatment of late-stage cancer has indeed advanced,

mortality can only be decreased by improving the rate of early diagnosis. From the mid-1950s to the mid-

1970s, it was expected that thermography would hold the key to breast cancer detection, as surface

temperature increases overlying malignant tumors had been demonstrated by thermographic imaging.

Unfortunately, detection of the 1-3 degrees C thermal differences failed to bear out its promise in early

identification of cancer. In the intervening two-and-a-half decades, three new factors have emerged: it is

now apparent that breast cancer has a lengthy genesis; a long-established tumor-even one of a certain

minimum size-induces increased arterial/capillary vascularity in its vicinity; and thermal variations that

characterize tissue metabolism are circadian ("about 24 hours") in periodicity. This paper reviews the

evidence for a connection between disturbances of circadian rhythms and breast cancer. Furthermore, a

scheme is proposed in which circadian rhythm "chaos" is taken as a signal of high risk for breast cancer

even in the absence of mammographic evidence of neoplasm or a palpable tumor. Recent studies along

this line suggest that an abnormal thermal sign, in the light of our present knowledge of breast cancer, is

ten times as important an indication as is family history data. PMID: 11720196 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Circadian Rhythms. 2010 Mar 31;8:3.

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM AND ITS ROLE IN MALIGNANCY. Rana S, Mahmood S.

Department of Human Genetics & Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.

[email protected].

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: Circadian rhythms are daily oscillations of multiple biological processes directed by

endogenous clocks. The circadian timing system comprises peripheral oscillators located in most tissues of

the body and a central pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus.

Circadian genes and the proteins produced by these genes constitute the molecular components of the

circadian oscillator which form positive/negative feedback loops and generate circadian rhythms. The

circadian regulation extends beyond clock genes to involve various clock-controlled genes (CCGs)

including various cell cycle genes. Aberrant expression of circadian clock genes could have important

consequences on the transactivation of downstream targets that control the cell cycle and on the ability of

cells to undergo apoptosis. This maylead to genomic instability and accelerated cellular proliferation

potentially promoting carcinogenesis. Different lines of evidence in mice and humans suggest that cancer

may be a circadian-related disorder. The genetic or functional disruption of the molecular circadian clock

has been found in various cancers including breast, ovarian, endometrial, prostate and hematological

cancers. The acquisition of current data in circadian clock mechanism may help chronotherapy, which


- 15 -

takes into consideration the biological time to improve treatments by devising new therapeutic approaches

for treating circadian-related disorders, especially cancer. PMID: 20353609 [PubMed - in process]PMCID: PMC2853504Free PMC Article

J Biomech Eng. 1984 May;106(2):123-30.

THERMAL MODELING OF THE NORMAL WOMAN'S BREAST. Osman MM, Afify EM.

ABSTRACT

A comprehensive thermal model of the normal woman's breast is presented. The model is developed

taking into consideration metabolic heat production, tissue perfusion with capillary blood, arterial and

venous blood thermal interaction and change of arterial blood temperature with position. A series of

computer programs are written using a 3-dimensional finite-element technique to evaluate the surface

temperature distribution of the breast. Comparison between the results obtained for the model and those

from thermograms of a woman's breast are in good agreement. PMID: 6738016 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Prog Clin Biol Res. 1982;107:133-54.

THERMORHYTHMOMETRY OF THE BREAST: A REVIEW TO 1981. Simpson HW, Wilson D, Griffiths K, Mutch F, Halberg F, Gautherie M.

PMID: 6762544 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Te

Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 1974 Jan 18;99(3):72-6.

[PLATE THERMOGRAPHY OF THE BREAST. PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A

NEW METHOD OF THERMOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION (AUTHOR'S

TRANSL)]. [Article in German]

Müller R, Barth V, Heuck F. PMID: 4812786 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



Cancer. 1975 Dec;36(6):2159-63.

BREAST THERMOGRAPHY AS A SCREENING TECHNIQUE. AN

EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE DATA. Revesz G, Lapayowker MS.

ABSTRACT

The concepts of relative operating characteristics (ROC-curves) and detectability index (d') are

introduced for the purpose of evaluating performance in breast thermography. In assessing published

information on the subject we have found that much of it is anecdotal and lacks sufficient data to

determine performance. We have also found that for those published findings which had sufficient data it

was possible to reconcile conflicting conclusionsas to the efficacy of thermography, and that performance

could be quantitated with the use of the detectability index. Conclusions for optimizing available clinical

thermographic techniques are given together with ways for future improvement. PMID: 1106837 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]




- 16 -

Lik Sprava. 1993 May-Jun;(5-6):114-6.

[THE IMPORTANCE OF THE THERMOGRAPHIC STUDY METHOD IN

ONCOLOGY]. [Article in Ukrainian]

Bilyns'ky? BT, Novak OP.

ABSTRACT

Results of the study give reason to consider distant thermography a method for detection of a tumor

and differential diagnosis of tumorous and inflammatory pathology. Registering changes of temperature in

tumorous lesion, that is assessment of functional condition of pathological focus, may be helpful in solving

diagnostic problems and provides possibility for monitoring of the process in the course of radiation

therapy. PMID: 8209469 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Chronobiol Int. 1989;6(4):371-93.

THE DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST PRE-CANCER BY THE CHRONOBRA--II. THE

BREAST PRE-CANCER TEST. Simpson HW, Griffiths K.

University Department of Pathology, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, U.K. PMID: 2627722 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances


Prog Clin Biol Res. 1982;107:397-411.

THERMOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE BENIGN DISEASES AND

REACTIVE CHANGES OF THE SKIN. Stüttgen G.

ABSTRACT

White Erythema is combined with an augmentation of heat radiation only if the convection of heat is

increased, reflectoric flush phenomenon is detected more reliably by thermography than reflex

photometrics. Urticarial exanthema shows an increased heat radiation if the edema derives from the deeper

layers of the skin vessels, whereas a cooling effect results from an edema affecting the superficial layers of

the skin. Papular lesions with inflammation are characterized by increased heat radiation. Most of the

benign skin tumors are not characterized by an increased convection of heat and show approximately the

same temperature as the surrounding skin. Diminished heat isolation by atrophy of the subcutaneous fat is

followed by an increase of heat radiation by the conduction of heat from the warm inside of the core. The

blood storage capacity of the deeper venous plexus and varicose veins of the lower legs maintain a raised

skin temperature which can be decreased by pharmacological vasoconstriction of these veins by

catecholamines and serotonin. Finally, the pharmacological effectiveness of topically applied drugs can

change the blood flow through the skin vessels and alter the heat radiation of the skin surface. PMID: 7167494 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

MeSH Terms


- 17 -

Rom Med Rev. 1971;15(2):73-7.

THE CORRELATIVE VALUE OF THERMOMETRY AND THE GLUCOSE

TOLERANCE TEST IN CANCER OF THE BREAST. Chiricu?? I, Bucur M, Opri? I, Bologa S.


MeSH Terms

LinkOut - more resources Med Radiol (Mosk). 1977 Mar;22(3):31-8.

[HEAT FIELD OF THE BREASTS OF HEALTHY WOMEN (ACCORDING TO

THERMOGRAPHIC DATA)]. [Article in Russian]

Karochkin BB, Kisenishcki? AM, Ginzburg LI, Zhukovski? VD, Shekhter AI. PMID: 853884 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


DEEPLY COOLED FAR-INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING STRATEGY FOR

EARLY TUMOR DIAGNOSTICS]. [Article in Chinese]

Zhang H, Liu J, Deng ZS, Zhou YX.

Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.

ABSTRACT

This paper is dedicated to evaluate the thermal behavior of skin surface embedded with tumor tissue

through construction of three-dimensional heat transfer model of the human body. It was found that the

far-infrared imaging equipment could not yet get the accurate results for diagnosis of tumors developed in

early stage or located deeply in the human body, because of limited resolution and accuracy in the current

system. Conceptual experiments with a thermal imaging system under various cooling levels were

performed to confirm this issue. A dual cooling cavity was proposed to realize ultra-low-temperature so as

to improve the cooling of the current infrared equipment and thereby to enhance its image precision and

accuracy. This study is expected to be of significant reference value for realizing an early diagnosis of

cancers through medical image. PMID: 19565794 [PubMed - in process]

Biomedicine. 1973 Sep;18(5):421-8.

[THERMOGENIC CAPACITY OF BREAST CARCINOMAS. II. VARIATION

DURING HORMONAL TESTS]. [Article in French]

Gautherie M, Gros C, Bourjat P, Quenneville Y. PMID: 4752707 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

MeSH Terms, Substances


J Natl Cancer Inst. 1997 Oct 1;89(19):1402-4.

HEAT-SEEKING PADS MAY HELP FIND EARLY BREAST CANCERS. Randal J.

PMID: 9326909 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free Article




- 18 -

COMPUT METHODS PROGRAMS BIOMED. 2010 DEC;100(3):269-82. Entropy-based feature extraction and decision tree induction for breast cancer diagnosis with

standardized thermograph images.

Lee MY, Yang CS.

Chang Gung University, Graduate Institute of Medical Mechatronics, 259 Wen-hwa 1st road, Kwei-shan,

Tao-yuan, Taiwan (R.O.C.). [email protected]

ABSTRACT

In this study, a computer-assisted entropy-based feature extraction and decision tree induction

protocol for breast cancer diagnosis using thermograph images was proposed. First, Beier-Neely field

morphing and linear affine transformation were applied in geometric standardization for whole body and

partial region respectively. Gray levels of pixel population at the same anatomical position were

statistically analyzed for abnormal region classification. Morphological closing and opening operations

were used to identify unified abnormal regions. Three types of 25 feature parameters (i.e. 10 geometric, 7

topological and 8 thermal) were extracted for parametric factor analysis. Positive and negative abnormal

regions were further reclassified by decision trees to induce the case-based diagnostic rules. Finally,

anatomical organ matching was utilized to identify the corresponding organ with the positive abnormal

regions. To verify the validity of the proposed case-based diagnostic protocol, 71 and 131 female patients

with and without breast cancer were analyzed. Experimental results indicated that 1750 abnormal regions

(703 positive and 1047 negative) were detected and 822 branches were broken down into the decision

space. Fourteen branches were found to have more than 4 positive abnormal regions. These critical

diagnostic paths with less than 10% of positive abnormal regions (61/703=8.6%) can effectively classify

more than half of the cancer patients (42/71=59.2%) in the abovementioned 14 branches. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.



J Med Syst. 2010 Feb;34(1):35-42.

APPLICATION OF K- AND FUZZY C-MEANS FOR COLOR SEGMENTATION

OF THERMAL INFRARED BREAST IMAGES. EtehadTavakol M, Sadri S, Ng EY.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.

ABSTRACT

Color segmentation of infrared thermal images is an important factor in detecting the tumor region.

The cancerous tissue with angiogenesis and inflammation emits temperature pattern different from the

healthy one. In this paper, two color segmentation techniques, K-means and fuzzy c-means for color

segmentation of infrared (IR) breast images are modeled and compared. Using the K-means algorithm in

Matlab, some empty clusters may appear in the results. Fuzzy c-means is preferred because the fuzzy

nature of IR breast images helps the fuzzy c-means segmentation to provide more accurate results with no

empty cluster. Since breasts with malignant tumors have higher temperature than healthy breasts and even

breasts with benign tumors, in this study, we look for detecting the hottest regions of abnormal breasts

which are the suspected regions. The effect of IR camera sensitivity on the number of clusters in

segmentation is also investigated. When the camera is ultra sensitive the number of clusters being

considered may be increased. PMID: 20192053 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

MeSH Terms


- 19 -

Eur J Surg Oncol. 2010 Jun;36(6):535-40. Epub 2010 May 10.

THE ACCURACY OF DIGITAL INFRARED IMAGING FOR BREAST CANCER

DETECTION IN WOMEN UNDERGOING BREAST BIOPSY. Wishart GC, Campisi M, Boswell M, Chapman D, Shackleton V, Iddles S, Hallett A, Britton PD.

Cambridge Breast Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK.

[email protected] <[email protected]>

COMMENT IN:

" Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2010 Sep;7(9):483.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mammography has a lower sensitivity for breast cancer detection in younger

women and those with dense breasts. Recent improvements in digital infrared breast imaging suggest there

may be a role for this technology and we have studied its performance in 100 women prior to breast needle

core biopsy (CB).

METHODS: All patients were imaged using a digital infrared breast (DIB) scan (Sentinel

BreastScan) prior to breast biopsy. Analysis of the infrared scans was performed, blinded to biopsy results,

in four different ways: Sentinel screening report, Sentinel artificial intelligence (neural network), expert

manual review and NoTouch BreastScan a novel artificial intelligence programme.

RESULTS: Of 106 biopsies performed in 100 women, 65 were malignant and 41 were benign.

Sensitivity of Sentinel screening (53%) and Sentinel neural network (48%) was low but analysis with

NoTouch software (70%) was much closer to expert manual review (78%). Sensitivity (78%) and

specificity (75%) using NoTouch BreastScan were higher in women under 50 and the combination of

mammography and DIB, with NoTouch interpretation, in this age group resulted in a sensitivity of 89%.

CONCLUSION: DIB using NoTouch is an effective adjunctive test for breast cancer detection in

women under 70 and appears to be particularly effective in women under 50 where maximal sensitivity

(78%) and specificity (75%) were observed. The combined sensitivity of NoTouch BreastScan and

mammography in women under 50 was encouraging at 89%, suggesting a potential way forward for a dual

imaging approach in this younger age group. PMID: 20452740 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Guang Pu Xue Yu Guang Pu Fen Xi. 2009 Mar;29(3):611-5.

[PSEUDO COLOR METHOD FOR THE INFRARED THERMOGRAM DISPLAY

OF LOCAL BREAST FOCUS TISSUE]. [Article in Chinese]

Tang XW, Ding HS, Teng YC.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.

[email protected]

ABSTRACT

An infrared thermogram which reflects the human body surface temperature distribution can be

obtained through detecting the infrared thermal radiation from each point on the human body surface.

When a malignant tumor occurs in a breast, it will cause an increase in the prominent temperature in the

breast surfacefocus region due to the abnormal blood transmission state of local focus tissue. Breast cancer

can be detected through the visual analysis of the focus regions by physicians. In order to help physicians

better find these focus regions, the present paper improved the traditional pseudo color display method by

introducing visual effect factor and made the focus regions have a better display effect. The efficacy of

this method was verified in the breast infrared thermograms of 47 breast cancer patients. The result from

visual analysis of the focus region in infrared thermogram by this method can also be compared with the


- 20 -

tissue blood transmission state from near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and other methods. It will be

helpful to obtain more accurate diagnostic information. PMID: 19455784 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH TermsJ Med Syst. 2010 Oct 19. [Epub ahead of print]

THERMOGRAPHY BASED BREAST CANCER DETECTION USING TEXTURE

FEATURES AND SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE. Acharya UR, Ng EY, Tan JH, Sree SV.

Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, 535, Clementi Road,

Singapore, 599489, Singapore.

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death nowadays in women throughout the world. In developed

countries, it is the most common type of cancer in women, and it is the second or third most common

malignancy in developing countries. The cancer incidence is gradually increasing and remains a

significant public health concern. The limitations of mammography as a screening and diagnostic

modality, especially in young women with dense breasts, necessitated the development of novel and more

effective strategies with high sensitivity and specificity. Thermal imaging (thermography) is a noninvasive

imaging procedure used to record the thermal patterns using Infrared (IR) camera. The aim of this study is

to evaluate the feasibility of using thermal imaging as a potential tool for detecting breast cancer. In this

work, we have used 50 IR breast images (25 normal and 25 cancerous) collected from Singapore General

Hospital, Singapore. Texture features were extracted from co-occurrence matrix and run length matrix.

Subsequently, these features were fed to the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for automatic

classification of normal and malignant breast conditions. Our proposed system gave an accuracy of

88.10%, sensitivity and specificity of 85.71% and 90.48% respectively. PMID: 20957511 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF DYNAMIC THERMAL ANALYSIS IN BREAST

CANCER DETECTION. Salhab M, Keith LG, Laguens M, Reeves W, Mokbel K.

St, George's Hospital, London, SW17 0QT, UK. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It is presently well accepted that the breast exhibits a circadian rhythm reflective

of its physiology. There is increasing evidence that rhythms associated with malignant cells proliferation

are largely non-circadian. Cancer development appears to generate its own thermal signatures and the

complexity of these signatures may be a reflection of its degree of development. The limitations of

mammography as a screening modality especially in young women with dense breastsnecessitated the

development of novel and more effective screening strategies with a high sensitivity and specificity. The

aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the feasibility of dynamic thermal analysis (DTA) as a

potential breast cancer screening tool.

METHODS: 173 women undergoing mammography as part of clinical assessment of their breast

symptoms were recruited prior to having a biopsy. Thermal data from the breast surface were collected

every five minutes for a period of 48 hours using eight thermal sensors placed on each breast surface [First

Warning System (FWS), Lifeline Biotechnologies, Florida, USA]. Thermal data were recorded by

microprocessors during the test period and analysed using specially developed statistical software.

Temperature points from each contra-lateral sensor are plotted against each other to form a thermal motion

picture of a lesion's physiological activity. DTA interpretations [positive (abnormal thermal signature) and

negative (normal thermal signature)] were compared with mammography and final histology findings.


- 21 -

RESULTS: 118 (68%) of participating patients, were found to have breast cancer on final histology.

Mammography was diagnostic of malignancy (M5) in 55 (47%), indeterminate (M3, M4) in 54 (46%) and

normal/benign (M1, M2) in 9 (8%) patients. DTA data was available on 160 (92.5%) participants. Using

our initial algorithm, DTA was interpreted as positive in 113 patients and negative in 47 patients.

Abnormal thermal signatures were found in 76 (72%) out of 105 breast cancer patients and 37 of the 55

benign cases. Then we developed a new algorithm using multiple-layer perception and SoftMax output

artificial neural networks (ANN) on a subgroup (n = 38) of recorded files. The sensitivity improved to

76% (16/21) and false positives decreased to 26% (7/27)

CONCLUSION: DTA of the breast is a feasible, non invasive approach that seems to be sensitive

for the detection of breast cancer. However, the test has a limited specificity that can be improved further

using ANN. Prospective multi-centre trials are required to validate this promising modality as an adjunct

to screening mammography especially in young women with dense breasts. PMID: 16584542 [PubMed]PMCID: PMC1450295Free PMC Article

Opt Lett. 2010 Jan 1;35(1):82-4. doi: 10.1364/OL.35.000082.

NEAR-INFRARED TOMOGRAPHY OF BREAST CANCER HEMOGLOBIN,

WATER, LIPID, AND SCATTERING USING COMBINED FREQUENCY

DOMAIN AND CW MEASUREMENT. Wang J, Pogue BW, Jiang S, Paulsen KD.

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.

[email protected]

ABSTRACT

In this study, near-IR tomography was implemented in the wavelength range from 661 to 948 nm to

characterize breast tumors in vivo. Frequency-domain measurements provide amplitude and phase

transmitted at wavelengths below 850 nm, where photomultiplier tube detection is efficient. Continuous-

wave detection at additional longer wavelengths (903, 912, and 948 nm) was collected using a CCD-based

spectrometer. Phantom validation experiments showed improved accuracy in hemoglobin and water

concentrations using this technique. Three women with malignant breast tumors were studied. The

addition of cw dataat longer wavelengths increased the recovered contrast of water in the tumor region

relative to surrounding tissue and allowed quantification of lipid. PMID: 20664680 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]PMCID: PMC2912606Free PMC Article

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances, Grant Support


Telemed J E Health. 2009 Apr;15(3):290-5.

TOWARD THE DESIGN OF A WEARABLE SYSTEM FOR CONTACT

THERMOGRAPHY IN TELEMEDICINE. Giansanti D, Maccioni G, Bernhardt P.

Dipartimento di Tecnologie e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Thermal imaging of the skin has been used for several decades for monitoring of temperature

distribution of human skin for the detection of thermal abnormalities indicating pathologies (malignancies,

inflammation, infection, and vascular, dermatological, and rheumatic disorders). Literature has shown that

to detect and monitor the thermal abnormalities related to pathologic conditions, there is a need to extend

acquisition over 8, 12, 16, or 24 hours. A wearable device is strongly needed in contact thermography to

reach the objective of long-term monitoring of contact thermography, especially in telemedicine

applications. A wearable system has been designed and constructed that allows the continuous

thermographic monitoring of a skin region at the point of affixation. Measurement allowed by this system

is direct and not hampered by the influence of the environment--as with IR thermography--nor by the


- 22 -

geometry of skin surface (curvatures, roughness) thanks to the flexible adaptation of the sensing head to

the surface. The validation of the system embedded in a pilot preliminary telemedicine application was

successful. The next step will be the wide focusing and adaptation to telemedicine clinical applications to

assess the response to the chemotherapy and tune the therapy at home of the breast cancer or the response

to the inflammation care. PMID: 19382868 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


IMPROVED INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY BASED IMAGE CONSTRUCTION

FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS USING MARKOV CHAIN MONTE CARLO

METHOD. Umadevi V, Suresh S, Raghavan SV.

Network Systems Laboratory, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai,

India. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Breast thermography is one of the scanning techniques used for breast cancer detection. Looking at

breast thermal image it is difficult to interpret parameters or tumor such as depth, size and location which

are useful for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. In our previous work (ITBIC) we proposed a

framework for estimation of tumor size using clever algorithms and the radiative heat transfer model. In

this paper, we expand it to incorporate the more realistic Pennes bio-heat transfer model and Markov

Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, and analyze it's performance in terms of computational speed,

accuracy, robustness against noisy inputs, ability to make use of prior information and ability to estimate

multiple parameterssimultaneously. We discuss the influence of various parameters used in its

implementation. We apply this method on clinical data and extract reliable results for the first time using

breast thermography. PMID: 20198744 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

MeSH Terms


EVALUATION OF FEATURE-BASED REGISTRATION IN DYNAMIC

INFRARED IMAGING FOR BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS. Agostini V, Delsanto S, Molinari F, Knaflitz M.

Dipartimento di Elettronica, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy. [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Dynamic infrared imaging has been proposed in literature as an interesting adjunctive technique to

mammography in breast cancer diagnosis. For a correct analysis of the infrared image sequences, however,

a preprocessing registration step may be fundamental. In this paper, we provide a first quantitative

evaluation of the performances of registration on dynamic infrared images for this specific application. We

propose an algorithm for the automatic control point localization and employ a feature-based piecewise

linear registration approach. The quality of the image alignment is evaluated on a small sample of subjects,

considering both alignment and localization errors. Results show that subject movement of up to five

pixels is compensated, obtaining a subpixel error correction. PMID: 17946428 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLI


- 23 -


NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF THE HUMAN BREAST: THE VALIDITY OF

DYNAMIC STRESS TESTING IN MEDICAL INFRARED BREAST IMAGING. Amalu WC.

Pacific Chiropractic & Res. Infrared Imaging Center, Redwood City, CA, USA.

ABSTRACT

The validity of the autonomic cold challenge for use in screening breast thermography is reviewed.

A review of the literature is discussed along with reasoning for the choice of the cold stress method used.

Breast thermogram results from 23 patients with histologically confirmed breast cancers are presented

demonstrating positive and negative responses to the challenge. Cold challenge responses from 500

patients without breast cancer and with normal and persistent abnormal thermograms are also discussed.

The question is posed, should the use of the cold challenge be continued considering that a negative

response does not rule out the possibility of neoplasm nor does a positive response guarantee its existence?

Conclusions are drawn from the available data that suggest that the use of the cold challenge be left up to

the discretion of the interpreting thermologist and not mandated with every breast thermogram. Until

further studies are performed and ample evidence can be presented, a review of the available data indicates

that infrared imaging of the breast can be performed excluding the cold challenge without any known loss

of sensitivity or specificity in the detection of breast cancers. PMID: 17271894 [PubMed]


ANALYSIS OF BREAST THERMOGRAPHY WITH AN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL

NETWORK. Koay J, Herry C, Frize M.

Dept. of Syst. & Comput. Eng., Carleton Univ., Ottawa, Ont., Canada.

ABSTRACT

Thermal imaging has been used for early breast cancer detection and risk prediction since the sixties.

Examining thermograms for abnormal hyperthermia and hyper-vascularity patterns related to tumor

growth is done by comparing images of contralateral breasts. Analysis can be tedious and challenging if

the differences are subtle. The advanced computer technology available today can be utilized to automate

the analysis and assist in decision-making. In our study, computer routines were used to perform ROI

identification and image segmentation of infrared images recorded from 19 patients. Asymmetry analysis

between contralateral breasts was carried out to generate statistics that could be used as input parameters

to a backpropagation ANN. A simple 1-1-1 network was trained and employed to predict clinical

outcomes based on the difference statistics of mean temperature and standard deviation. Results

comparing the ANN output with actual clinical diagnosis are presented. Future work will focus on

including more patients and more input parameters in the analysis. Performance of ANN network can be

studied to select a set of parameters that would best predict the presence of breast cancer. PMID: 17271890 [PubMed]

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